CO HB 24-1263

Title: Licensure of Electricians
Author: Byron H. Pelton

Summary
Section 1 of the bill amends a definition and adds new definitions under the electricians' practice act. In current law, an applicant for a journeyman electrician's license or a residential wireman's license must provide evidence of having certain minimum years of apprenticeship experience, accredited training, or practical experience. For the purpose of these requirements, section 3 allows an applicant to have a minimum of 8,000 hours, rather than 4 years, of apprenticeship experience and to have a minimum of 4,000 hours, rather than 2 years, of practical experience. Specifically, an applicant for a journeyman electrician's license must furnish written evidence that: The applicant has at least 4 years or 8,000 hours of apprenticeship in the electrical trade or 4 years or 8,000 hours of practical experience in wiring for, installing, and repairing electrical apparatus and equipment for electric light, heat, and power; and At least 2 years or 4,000 hours of the applicant's experience is in commercial, industrial, or substantially similar work. An applicant for a residential wireman's license must furnish written evidence that the applicant has at least 2 years of accredited training or 2 years or 4,000 hours of practical experience in wiring one-, two-, three-, and four-family dwellings. Current law allows an applicant for a journeyman electrician's license or a residential wireman's license to substitute for required practical experience evidence of academic training or practical experience in the electrical field. Section 2 allows an applicant to also substitute evidence of training in photovoltaic systems installation. However, section 2 also states that the state electrical board (board) may, but is no longer required to, provide work experience credit for academic training, including military training. Section 2 also allows an applicant for a journeyman electrician's license or a residential wireman's license to claim up to 4,000 hours of practical experience by working: As an individual who is certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) to install photovoltaic systems (NABCEP PV installation professional); or As an apprentice to an NABCEP PV installation professional, so long as the supervising NABCEP PV installation professional provides proof of employment and an affidavit attesting that the applicant earned the hours as an apprentice. For every 2 hours that an applicant works as described, the applicant may claim one hour of practical experience until July 1, 2029. Under current law, for all applicants seeking work experience credit toward licensure, the board gives credit for electrical work that is not required to be performed by or under the supervision of a licensed electrician if the applicant can show that the particular experience received or the supervision under which the work has been performed is adequate. Section 3 states the board may give such credit but is not required to do so. Section 4 requires that, for an apprentice who holds an active residential wireman license, an electrical contractor, an apprenticeship program, or a state apprenticeship agency that employs the apprentice must report qualifying years or hours of work experience only for commercial, industrial, or substantially similar work. Section 4 also ensures that an individual who possesses an active residential wireman or master electrician license is not required to take the journeyman electrician license examination. Section 4 also allows an apprentice to request an exemption from the board from future examination requirements, regardless of whether the apprentice has failed to pass the license examination in 2 consecutive 3-year periods. Section 5 requires the department of regulatory agencies (DORA) to: Uphold the rules and regulations of the current edition of the national electrical code, including applying the code to all equipment from the point at which service transformers generate voltage to

Status
House Committee on Business Affairs & Labor Postpone Indefinitely

Bill Documents
CO HB 24-1263 - Introduced Version
2024-02-13 - CO HB 24-1263 (Introduced Version)